Lover’s Ball at Stonehouse

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Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and The Stonehouse of Nevada City is brewing up just the right thing for a romantic evening with Synthetic Unlimited. On Thursday (Feb. 14), join us for “The Lover’s Ball,” a love-themed variety show featuring erotic poetry, seductive Shakespeare, stand-up comedy, a burlesque show and even a bit of puppetry. Music by a live swing band, Cousin Cricket, will set the mood all night long, joined by anticipated performances by local swing dancers. We are kicking things off at 7 p.m. sharp; music starts at 8.

A community hub for performers, artists and creative savants of all types, Synthetic Unlimited “does attract a number of younger performers — which keeps the material edgy and more adult oriented — and creates a strong undercurrent of encouragement and camaraderie,” according to the organization.

Indeed, its sensual production of “Anthony and Cleopatra” (2012) garnered lots of attention for Synthetic Unlimited. For this Valentine’s Day production, the Synthetic Unlimited team includes Aubrey Lee Puetz of the Bowtie Beauties and Grace Fae with her burlesque debut. Local comedians and thespians conjoin to pay homage to the Bard himself, acting out romantic scenes from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and “Much Ado About Nothing,” including the classic Romeo and Juliet balcony scene, which will be performed by two of the crew’s youngest actors, Marcus Arellanes and Rayne McNeil.

In addition, local writer Maxima Kahn will read her own brand of “erotic poetry,” and hilarious stand-up comedian Casey Burke will make a late-night appearance with his take on love and all things Valentine. To top the cake, The Stonehouse chef-extraordinaire Sean Sullivan, will offer special Valentine’s treats and desserts (ripe strawberries with hand-whipped, Nutella-infused whipped cream, balsamic syrup and chocolate).

What’s not to love about a lover’s ball? With or without a lover, there is something for everyone at this event. Come in your finest red and white semi-formal or lingerie and get ready to dance the night away. Food and drinks will be served, much will be made merry and all for only $10. The Stonehouse is located at 107 Sacramento St. in downtown Nevada City. Tickets available at 800-95-SHOWS, the Nevada City Box Office and at http://syntheticunlimited.org.